Section 31 was an officially nonexistent and uncondoned rogue agency within the Federation Starfleet that claimed to operate in the name of the security of the United Federation of Planets. Little information is available about the activities of the bureau. Those sympathetic to Section 31 assert that it was an elite intelligence and defense bureau dealing with threats to the Federation that official departments, such as the Federation Security Service or Starfleet Intelligence, either were simply not aware of, or were unable to properly confront. More hostile sources, however, claim that it was an organization dedicated merely to its own interests, regardless of whether or not said interests coincided with the interests of Federation security.

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As a rogue agency, Section 31 seemed to lack an official name. It was most commonly known as "Section 31," though several agents indicated that this was not its true name; others referred to it simply as the Organization or as the Bureau. It was also known colloquially as "Thirty-One." Its true name, if any, is unknown. (TNG - Section 31novel: Rogue, DS9 - Section 31novel: Abyss.) The name "Section 31" was first coined by United Earth Starfleet CommanderCharles Tucker III in 2155 when the Bureau recruited him for a mission in Romulan space. (ENTnovel: The Good That Men Do)

Note: That Worf had assumed Section 31 director Vasily Zeitsev merely to be the "real" director of Starfleet Intelligence on Qo'noS would seem to imply that such was the extent of II's knowledge, as well.

Section 31 also operated at least one other secure facility from which it was capable of monitoring internal and external communications from the office of the Federation President, Tezwa, and Starfleet ships. (TNGnovel: A Time to Kill)

Agents of Section 31 were often observed wearing an imposing black leather outfit of a design that appeared to have been continuous from the mid-22nd century onward. (ENTepisode: "Divergence", DS9episode: "Inquisition")

Malcolm Reed of the United Earth ship Enterprise NX-01 served as an operative of Section 31's ancestral United Earth Starfleet agency early in his career under a man named Harris. Despite Reed's resignation from the bureau, Harris would later attempt to coerce Reed into returning to the organization's service in 2154. Harris ordered Reed to obstruct an investigation into the abduction of the Denobulanchief medical officer of the NX-01, Phlox, whom the organization allowed to be kidnapped and delivered to the Klingon Empire so that Phlox could search for a cure to a disease that threatened the extinction of the Klingon species. Reed was later found out, but CaptainJonathan Archer remained unable to act against the Organization, of which he still knew very little. (ENTepisodes: "Affliction", "Divergence")

Tucker was sent to the world of Adigeon Prime, where he was surgically altered to match the appearance of a Romulan scientist working on their Warp 7 stardrive project. Upon arriving in Romulan space, Tucker replaced a deceased assistant to the Romulan scientist Ehrehin, in hopes of either stealing or sabotaging the Romulan Star Empire's efforts to make a leap forward in warp technology. At the same time, Tucker discovered that the Vulcan Captain Sopek was posing as a Romulan dissident leader named Ch'uihv. During the successful attempt to rescue Dr. Ehrehin from the dissidents, Sopek murdered Tinh Hoc Phuong in cold blood before he could escape with Tucker and the doctor. Shortly afterwards, Tucker warned Starfleet of a pending Romulan attack on the world of Coridan Prime by a suicidal Romulan agent. Unfortunately, the attack succeeded, killing billions of Coridanites by igniting the planet's massive dilithium stockpiles.

Soon after, Section 31 learned of the genetic link between the Romulan and the Vulcan people, but kept the information highly classified as they feared that disclosure of this information would shatter the recently established and still-fragile Coalition of Planets. Harris soon sent Tucker back into Romulan space for further intelligence gathering from within the Empire. (ENTnovel: The Good That Men Do)

Months later, Dr. Ehrehin was assassinated by the same Romulan dissident group that abducted him the first time. Agent Tucker was taken into custody by Romulan security officers, where Romulan Admiral Valdore suspected that he was actually a Vulcan agent. Believing that Tucker may still have use as an asset, Valdore sent him to the stronghold of the dissident group with CenturionTerix to discover what information the dissidents had about the Romulans' stardrive project. In the course of the mission, Terix was killed by the dissidents, and Tucker was nearly shot by the possible traitor Sopek before United Earth Starfleet officers Malcolm Reed and T'Pol arrived to rescue him. T'Pol and Reed attempted to convince Tucker to return to Coalition space, but he decided to continue his mission instead. Upon returning to Romulus, Tucker's scout ship was nearly destroyed by a Romulan Bird-of-Prey under the command of Sopek. When Tucker confronted Sopek about his true identity as a Vulcan officer, Sopek informed him that they were heading to the Gamma Hydra sector in order to protect a secret Vulcan listening post. However, upon arriving at Gamma Hydra, Tucker discovered that Sopek intended to capture Enterprise with a new Romulan telecapture device. He managed to send the Bird-of-Prey into a collision with an asteroid, foiling Sopek's plans. (ENTnovel: Kobayashi Maru)

When the United Federation of Planets was founded in 2161, it can be presumed that the agency that later became known as Section 31 either transferred its professed loyalties from United Earth to the UFP in general, or was founded as an off-shoot of its United Earth predecessor -- and, possibly, any Vulcan, Andorian, or Tellarite counterparts.

In the early 2260s, Section 31 recruited twenty-year Starfleet security officerPeter Lawrence into their ranks. Lawrence, who had been dreading the thought of retirement or a desk job, jumped at the chance to continue to serve. Working for Section 31, Lawrence found that he had a talent for investigative matters, but became uncomfortable with the secrecy and paranoia that fueled every action of the agency.

Lawrence left Section 31 after he investigated attorney Samuel T. Cogley at their behest. The bureau believed that Cogley had an agenda that ran counter to the security needs of the Federation, and Lawrence was assigned to discover this agenda. He discovered, however, that Cogley had no agenda, simply a firm conviction that all beings were entitled to the best possible defense in a court of law. Lawrence, believing Cogley to be the single most honorable man that he had ever met, resigned from Starfleet to work for Cogley.

Section 31 attempted to coerce Lawrence into reconsidering, and returning to duty. He refused vehemently, leaving the Bureau for good, with both his life and reputation intact. (TOSnovel: The Case of the Colonist's Corpse)

Several months later, evidence linking the "liberated" cloaking device to the destruction of the USS Sphinx with all hands was uncovered by the crew of the Enterprise. Inquiries to Cartwright proved a dead-end, and Captain Kirk decided to investigate further, uncovering both the existence of Section 31 itself and of a cabal of rogue scientists supported by the Organization that was trying to create a stable Omega molecule. The scientists' unsuccessful attempt at creating a stable Omega molecule resulted in the destruction of the subspace layer for several cubic lightyears throughout the Lantaru sector, rendering warp travel impossible in that area. This event led Starfleet to impose the Omega Directive, barring all Omega research.

In 2270, Section 31 sent an operative, Moore and another man to get a security disk for Archenar IV's High Administrator's chamber from his son. They promised the High Administrator's son that they would eliminate the High Administrator so that his people would not join the Federation. However, Section 31 wanted their world to join the Federation. Moored and compatriot then murdered the High Administrator's son and his guard. Moore then killed his compatriot. He was then assigned to the USS Enterprise. On board the Enterprise, Moore then secretly contacted Orion Syndicate leader Marikk Botar and gave him Archenar IV's coordinates to him. The Orion Syndicate hoped to obtain the weapon and power of Archenar IV for their use. Moore's message was discovered by Lt. Uhura. Commander Scott and Lt. Sulu found and took him to the ship's brig. (TOScomic: "Mission's End")

Following the apprehension of "John Harrison" and Robert April, Starfleet began an comprehensive effort to remove all elements of Section 31 that Admiral Marcus operated. Despite Starfleet's efforts, Section 31 continued to secretly plot to ignite war between the Romulans and Klingons using contingency plans devised by Marcus before his death. However, a few of their agents believed that Marcus's actions had set the section's work for years.Section 31 sent a few of their operatives to Romulus to speak to the Romulan Senate. Section 31 promised they would help them in wiping the Klingon Empire from the stars. They told the senate that Starfleet may have abdicated its responsibility to protect Earth and the Federation but Section 31 has not. However the Romulans were suspicious of section 31 if they could deliver the technology to help them with Klingons, knowing that they wanted the red matter. Despite that, Section 31 were able to arrange a rendezvous near Khitomer in anticipation of the Klingon's new fleet heading towards Orion. However, Section 31 decided to wait till the time was right to reveal everything. Section 31 also carried Khan Noonien Singh and his 72 other augments on one of their ships.(TOS - The Khitomer Conflictcomics: "Part 3", "Part 4"; TOS - Khancomic: "Issue 1"; TOS - After Darknesscomics: "Part 1", "Part 2", "Part 3")

Section 31 were also able to provide the Romulan's attack force under L'Nar with advanced weaponry used on the Vengeance that were more than a match against the Klingons when they attacked their colony on Khitomer. L'Nar was then contacted by a human Section 31 operative, who assured them that the Klingon would have no choice but to retaliate against the Romulans with the bulk of their fleet. He also said that they would crush the klingons together. He then ordered L'Nar to rejoin the Romulan fleet at the Hectori system while they drew Klingons to Khitomer. He assured L'Nar that after the Klingon Empire falls, it would benefit both their species.

Section 31 then met up with Commander L'Nar near the Klingon/Romulan border where their ships were able to to move in on them undetected. Together, both Section 31's and L'Nar's forces decided to attack Qo'nos to "permanently" stop the threat of the Klingon's aggression. When they arrived, theirs and L'Nar's ships opened fired on all of Qo'nos's main cities. Section 31 then sent their "Spear 31" assault team to kill anyone who they saw as a threat. Section 31 then made sure L'nar would keep his word not harm Captain Kirk or his landing party. Kirk and his crew were then returned to the Enterprise. However, Kirk and his landing party then returned to stop Section 31 from using the Romulan's red matter in wiping the Klingons out. Though Kirk and his party were able to subdue most of the agents, they were then held at gunpoint by Yuki Sulu, who revealed herself as a agent of Section 31.

Section 31 and the Romulans then held the Chancellor, and High Council as they prepared to detonate the red matter to destroy the First City. However, Section 31 was double-crossed the Romulans and took the red matter. Unbeknown to L'Nar, Section 31 also installed a self-destruct program onto the modified warbirds, which they destroyed. Section 31 had accomplished their goals; they had the Klingon and Romulan fleet cut to pieces, the red matter in their possession, and assurances that the Klingons would retaliate against the Romulans, all to the Federation's's advantage. The Section 31 operative in charge then allowed Kirk and his party to return to the Enterprise. Yuki Sulu, the other agents and their ships then disappeared without a trace on any sensors. (TOS - The Khitomer Conflictcomics: "Part 1", "Part 2", "Part 3", "Part 4")

During the conflict with the Tzenkethi Coalition, Section 31 gave the location of the USS Leonov to the Tzenkethi when they discovered that the Leonov was about to receive orders to attack a civilian target based on bad intelligence. The Leonov was destroyed, and over half of her crew lost. Section 31 believed that the loss of the Leonov was justified if it kept the Tzenkethi from escalating the conflict.

The agent that leaked the information to the Tzenkethi was eventually tracked down by the Leonov's former second officer, William Ross. The agent told Ross his side of the story, and Section 31's belief that what they had done was for the good of the Federation. Ross made the decision not to turn the man over to the authorities, and Ross would work with Section 31 at various points in his career. (COEeBook: The Future Begins)

In early 2373, Section 31 agents AmbassadorAubin Tabor and Starfleet Officer Commander Cortin Zweller were given the task of making sure that the people of the world of Chiaros voted to join the Romulan Star Empire rather than the United Federation of Planets. Chiaros was the only inhabited planet in the vast expanse of space known as the Geminus Gulf. Section 31 felt that the Federation would waste too much time and resources defending a strategically worthless planet, so they agreed to give the planet to Romulus in exchange for a list of Tal Shiar spies working inside the Federation.

What Section 31 did not realize was that the Romulans had discovered a sub-space singularity, a potential source of tremendous energy, near the Chiaros system - an energy source that Section 31 had inadvertently handed to the Romulans. Starfleet Vice-AdmiralMarta Batanides, a major leader in Starfleet Intelligence, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and Lieutenant Sean Hawk (both of the USS Enterprise-E) discovered Thirty-One's existence, the details of its plan, and the existence of the sub-space singularity. Batanides and Picard allowed Zweller to complete his mission, but took him into custody thereafter. At the same time, Picard, CommanderData, and Lieutenant Sean Hawk embarked on a successful mission in a stolen scout ship to destroy the singularity, and rob the Romulans of their prize.

Zweller was cleared of all charges and released on the order of Admiral Connaught Rossa, despite the objections of Batanides and Picard. Batanides swore to use all of the resources at her disposal to bring down Section 31. (TNG - Section 31novel: Rogue)

When Captain Kathryn Janeway took in the disconnected Borg drone known as Seven of Nine as a member of the crew in early 2374, Luke decided to take action. Believing Seven's presence to be a tremendous mistake on Janeway's part, Luke reprogrammed one of the ship's spare bio-neural gel packs with instructions for the ship's computer to kill Seven and make it appear to be an accident.

She nearly finished programming the pack, but was killed before she could install it. Eighteen months later, ship's chief engineerB'Elanna Torres swapped out a defective pack with Luke's tainted one, and the ship's computer commenced with its attempts to kill the former Borg drone.

When the re-programming was discovered, Seven recognized the coding as one used only by the covert agency. Seven had gained knowledge of Section 31 when she was in the Collective and an operative of the bureau had been assimilated, granting all of his knowledge to the Borg Collective. The reprogramming was reversed when the ship's Emergency Medical Hologram, known as the Doctor, developed a bio-neural "vaccine" that re-programmed the ship's computer to resume its normal function. (VOY - Section 31novel: Shadow)

Bashir was horrified to learn of the existence of an organization within Starfleet that made their own agenda and answered to nobody, and refused Sloan's offer. Despite Bashir's refusal, Sloan continued to consider Bashir as an asset. Bashir, meanwhile, reported his experience to his commanding officer, Captain Benjamin Sisko, and to the rest of the station's senior staff (including two members of the allied Republic of Bajor's Militia, Kira Nerys and Odo). Sisko ordered Bashir to agree to join Thirty-One the next time he had the chance. (DS9episode: "Inquisition")

Luther Sloan in 2375

In 2375, Agent Sloan contacted Bashir for a mission during an upcoming conference on Romulus between the Federation and Romulan Star Empire. Sloan manipulated Bashir into believing that he intended to assassinate Koval, Chair of the Tal Shiar, the feared Romulan secret police. Bashir, acting on this belief, convinced Romulan SenatorKimara Cretak to access Koval's personal database in order to discover who would be acting to aide Sloan; Cretak was then arrested and tried before the Romulan Continuing Committee, and found guilty of treason. During the trial, Bashir was also interrogated, and Koval and Sloan conspired to provide false evidence to the Committee that Thirty-One did not exist and had been created by Sloan to manipulate Bashir. In actuality, the goal of Section 31 was to ruin the career of Senator Cretak, who had previously proven herself willing to risk the stability of the alliance against the Dominion in the perceived interests of the Empire and install Koval, who had become a mole for Section 31, onto the Continuing Committee in Cretak's place. Their plan succeeded. (DS9episode: "Shadows and Symbols", DS9episode: "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")

In mid-2375, Admiral Matthew Dougherty worked with the Son'a on a project on a world located within the area of space known as the Briar Patch, despite the fact that the Son'a had been supplying Ketracel white to the Dominion. This alliance was attempting to forcibly relocate the local population of Ba'ku from the world in order to transform it into a source of regenerative energy.

The operation was brought to a halt by Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise-E. Admiral Dougherty, who was killed by his Son'a "allies," took the fall and was branded as a rogue. Though Section 31 was never implicated, however, the cloaking-capable ship with a holographic interior, known as the Holoship, created to facilitate the plot came into the hands of the Kirk cabal, who would come to suspect the organization's involvement in the matter. (TNGmovie & novelization: Insurrection; DS9 - Section 31novel: Abyss)

In April of 2376, Bashir was again contacted by Section 31, this time in form of a man named Cole. Cole informed Bashir of a failed Section 31 operation on the world of Sindorin in the Badlands designed to breed a new strain of Jem'Hadar soldiers that would be loyal to the Organization. The project went awry when Section 31's chief scientist on the project, a genetically enhanced doctor named Ethan Locken, betrayed his benefactors and used the project for his own plans of conquest. Cole believed that Bashir, due to his genetically enhanced nature, was the best choice to bring Locken in. Bashir accepted the assignment.

Bashir, along with LieutenantsEzri Dax and Ro Laren and the Jem'Hadar observer, Taran'atar, journeyed to Sindorin and confronted Locken and his loyal Jem'Hadar. In the end, Locken's own flawed Jem'Hadar turned against him, killing him. Bashir also theorized that Section 31, in an attempt to drive Locken to the heights of desperation and rage it felt would be necessary for him to agree to join the bureau, may have intentionally leaked information to the Dominion during the war, arranging for the New Beijing Massacre that claimed thousands of civilian lives. This theory was based purely on circumstantial evidence, involving Bashir's discovery that Cole had gone undercover as Locken's friend and mentor on New Beijing, as well as Bashir's general contempt for Section 31.

Upon returning to the station, Commander Elias Vaughn, who had long struggled against Section 31 during his lengthy Starfleet career, recruited Bashir into the elite, secret cabal created by Captain Kirk to counteract the organization. (DS9 - Section 31novel: Abyss)

Zife had assigned Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise to bring the planet under Federation jurisdiction in order to hide the origins of the cannons from the Klingons, not informing Picard or Starfleet of the cannons' origins. Picard asked Ambassador Worf to obtain the fleets command codes, and in order to prevent war with the Klingon Empire. Zeitsev, not correcting the ambassador's mistaken belief that he was a high-ranking officer in Starfleet Intelligence, assisted Worf in obtaining them. Unbeknownst to all involved, Zeitsev and his colleagues at the Organization had every intention of remotely triggering a number of high-yield bombs capable of destroying the entire planet if Picard's crew failed in their mission. (TNGnovel: A Time to Kill)

Section 31 then intervened when Koll Azernal, Zife's chief of staff, attempted to plant evidence framing the Tholian Assembly for the cannons' origins, alerting Starfleet to the deception and ordering a sleeper agent to kill the crew of an Orion Syndicate merchantman. Zife's actions had brought the Federation to the brink of war with the Klingons, and Section 31 felt that Zife could not be allowed to ever speak of the events of Tezwa.

Ross, Nechayev, and Nakamura, using their authority over Starfleet Security (the agency charged with protecting the President and the Palais de la Concorde), forced Zife, Azernal, and Quafina to join them in the Palais de la Concorde Monet Room and had the building cleared of security personnel. There, the admirals confronted Zife and forced them to resign. Upon agreeing, a Vulcan Section 31 agent named L'Haan entered the Monet Room with three other operatives; claiming to be Starfleet officers who would transport the President to protective custody, L'Haan was instantly recognized as an agent of the Bureau by the admirals, Azernal, and Quafina; only President Zife, it seems, had never heard of the rogue organization. L'Haan had Zife read a prepared statement announcing his resignation on live telecommunications from the Presidential Office.

After the speech, L'Haan and her agents executed President Zife, Chief of Staff Azernal, and Secretary Quafina. (TNGnovel: A Time to Heal)

Eventually, reporter Ozla Graniv of the Trill news magazine Seeker discovered the that the Federation had given Tezwa the pulse-cannons and that Admiral Ross had forced President Zife, Azernal, and Quafina to resign. In exchange for not publishing this information, Graniv demanded that Ross step down. Only President Nanietta Bacco was able to deduce that Zife had been killed rather than simply forced to resign—however, she mistakenly believed Ross to have been the assassin. Ross did not inform President Bacco or anyone else of the true identity of President Zife's killers, believing that the bureau would kill her just as ruthlessly as it had Zife if she were to discover the truth. (STnovel: Articles of the Federation)

The existence and activities of Section 31 were exposed to the general public by the early 25th century, and its agents were forced to stand trial for their actions. It was believed that the public release of Section 31's files and records ended over 300 years of the bureau's unsanctioned black-ops and infiltration programs. Despite this, it was uncertain if the agency's existence ended completely. (ENTnovel: The Good That Men Do)

The events illustrated above appear to be contradicted by the Star Trek Online timeline, as Section 31 continues to exist well into 2410. And despite some transparency among the upper echelons of Starfleet, much of Section 31's operations remain unknown to the majority of the general public. Section 31 tests player characters on a mission in a fashion similar to that of Dr. Julian Bashir. A Section 31 agent, Franklin Drake, also enlists the player's aid in several other missions. When Devidians start haunting the Klingon Neutral Zone, Section 31 assists the player in stopping them.

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